Top 5 Games Based On Marvel Film Characters

The Marvel comic universe has taken over the film industry in a way very few could have ever imagined even a decade ago, when the first few films had already rolled out. Now, films licensed by or directly produced by Marvel Studios are responsible for billions of dollars in worldwide revenue. The latest Marvel releases have become the de facto headline events of the film calendar for audiences, but this much you already know.

What you may not realize is that along with the many popular films with Marvel heroes and story lines, there have also been a number of successful and highly entertaining games. So here’s our look back at the top five games that have come out alongside the lucrative film movement.

5. Marvel: Avengers Alliance RPG

While it’s not a traditional console or arcade game, Marvel: Avengers Alliance is one of the most complete experiences out there for fans of the comics. Developed at playdom.com and initially released as a social RPG on Facebook, the game lets players control their own personalized S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, gathering teams of Marvel heroes to combat various villains. There are also player vs. player opportunities that allow different users to compete with one another. After gaining immense popularity on Facebook, Marvel: Avengers Alliance was eventually turned into an app.

4. Daredevil Slots

Most fans will recall Daredevil as one of the biggest flops of the Marvel-related films in the 21st century, and the truth is it wasn’t up to par. But that’s precisely why the slot arcade game based on the character at casino.betfair.com is oddly satisfying. Where the film came across as somewhat cheap and laughable, the game captures some of the darkness of the comic book character and his surrounding world. At the end of the day, this is an arcade slot machine, but a moonlit night sky backdrop and the ability to line up tabs consisting of images of Daredevil, Bullseye and Co. (along with character weaponry) offers a reminder of what makes Daredevil cool.

3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Geekexchange.com ranked this as the second best Marvel game ever created. While we won’t quite go that high, it’s hard to argue. Many probably dismissed this title because the 2009 film of the same name was widely regarded as a horrific failure. However, the game simply works. There’s something to be said for the Wolverine character being well suited to video games. In terms of gaming action, he’s basically a bruiser/slasher who can take a lot of damage, and that is definitely the case in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Available for Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo devices, as well as Microsoft Windows, the game only partially follows the saga of the film before spiraling off in its own action-packed direction.

2. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2

Another game available on popular console devices, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 may just be the best opportunity to enjoy all your favourite comic characters in one go. Building on its predecessor’s fairly excellent foundation, Ultimate Alliance 2 offers a large range of characters for players to choose from, with the goal of assembling a team of four heroes. Oddly enough, this game follows a dungeon crawl format (somewhat uncommon in modern console games). However, this provides a more focused use of the various heroes whereas an open-world format could conceivably overwhelm a world with so many key characters. All in all, this game is almost weirdly addicting.

1. Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

This title came out back in 2008, and there have since been bigger and more beautiful Spider-Man games produced. In fact, there are now multiple open-world Spider-Man games that are pretty entertaining for those seeking a more modern experience. But Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows just got everything right. It’s a side-scrolling action game that lets you control pretty much everything, taking the game in your own direction to experience different characters and scenarios. The game’s 8.8 rating on Gamestop.com is among the best of Marvel-related titles, and it’s easy to see why.